There is need for device that can press an indentation or cavity into the interior of a sliced, pre-baked bun or similar already baked bread-based item intended to hold messy, liquid or partially liquid ingredients as a sandwich. The following patents and published applications illustrate the efforts of others to address
the problem of liquid or liquid-like fillings falling or squeezing out of buns or sandwiches during consumption which is solved by the disclosure herein. As can be seen, there are a vast array of efforts already existing to provide a solution to the problems confronted when eating a bun based sandwich filled with liquid or liquid-like fillings, but none provides the combination of features and advantages presented in the instant disclosure.
These references include: U.S. Pat. No. 7,011,850 7,011,859 entitled “Method for Making a Sandwich,” issued to Holbrook on Mar. 14, 2006; U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,898 entitled “Sandwich Product and Method for Making Same,” issued to Perrine on May 15, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,768 entitled “Apparatus for Making Dough Envelopes Containing Filling,” issued to Lifshitz et al. on May 10, 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,651 entitled “Sandwich Making Device,” issued to Cooper on Apr. 2, 1963; U.S. Pat. No. 3,068,778 entitled “Sandwich Toaster,” issued to Majerus on Dec. 18, 1962; U.S. Design Pat. No. D479,665 entitled “Sandwich Press,” issued to Barker on Sep. 16, 2003; U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2012/0201927 entitled “Hollow Sandwich Bun Mold and Method of Use,” was published on behalf of Meikle on Aug. 9, 2012; U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2007/0144359 entitled “Apparatus, System, and Method for Making Sandwiches,” was published on behalf of Ekberg et al. on Jun. 28, 2007; and Canadian Patent Application No. 2 611 069 entitled “Apparatus, System, and Method of Making Sandwiches,” was published on behalf Ekberg et al. on Jun. 22, 2008 (U.S. equivalent is 2007/0144359).
These references are discussed in greater detail as follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,011,850 generally discloses a method of inserting a first foodstuff, such as sandwich fixings, into a second foodstuff, such as a pre-baked bread bun. The method comprises the steps of forming a cavity that extends to the outside in the bread bun, providing a variety of sandwich fixings onto a flexible sheet, rolling the sheet into a sleeve, sliding the sleeve into the cavity and finally withdrawing the sleeve from the bread bun, leaving behind the sandwich fixings. The disclosed method may further comprise drilling the cavity into the pre-baked bread bun.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,898 generally discloses a sandwich product that is made by sealing the peripheral portions or edges of two slices or layers of bread together to form a substantially sealed pocket. The pocket contains a filling material. The sealing step takes place without heat. Interior seals may optionally be impressed into the sandwich product to form separate sub-pockets which restrict the flow of ingredients between the sub-pockets. Score lines may be formed in these interior seals so that the product can be separated into pieces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,768 generally discloses an apparatus for making dough envelopes containing a filling (e.g. ravioli). The apparatus comprises a frame having a plurality of inverted cone-shaped chambers. In between each chamber is a cutting ridge having a triangular cross-section. Horizontal pasting faces are provided in the corner of each chamber between the chamber base and the cutting ridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,651 generally discloses a sandwich pressing device that compresses an assembled sandwich, seals the outer edges of the sandwich to keep the filling ingredients from leaking out and simultaneously with the sealing operation, slices off the peripheral edges. The apparatus has first and second mating elements, each having a shaped recess surrounded by a generally horizontal area. The horizontal area functions to seal the edges of the sandwich. A knife blade is disposed on the outer edges of the horizontal area. The apparatus also comprises a means to move at least one of the mating elements towards the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,068,778 generally discloses a sandwich toaster that trims the toasted sandwich into a circular shape while also sealing the edges of the sandwich to keep the sandwich filling ingredients in its interior. The toaster comprises a substantially rectangular base that has a circular cup-shaped depression formed therein. The toaster also has a top section that has a cup-shaped depression formed therein. The base and the top section are connected by a pivot means. Both the base and the top section are provided with heating elements that can toast the exterior of the sandwich. The toaster is also provided with a removable annular cutting ring on the top section to trim excess material from the sealed sandwich.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,068,778 generally discloses a sandwich toaster that trims the toasted sandwich into a circular shape while also sealing the edges of the sandwich to keep the sandwich filling ingredients in its interior. The toaster comprises a substantially rectangular base that has a circular cup-shaped depression formed therein. The toaster also has a top section that has a cup-shaped depression formed therein. The base and the top section are connected by a pivot means. Both the base and the top section are provided with heating elements that can toast the exterior of the sandwich. The toaster is also provided with a removable annular cutting ring on the top section to trim excess material from the sealed sandwich.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D479,665 generally discloses a rectangular sandwich press having various features including among others, a handle, feet on the bottom and a hinge opposite the handle.
U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2007/0144359 generally discloses a bladeless sandwich making apparatus that has upper and lower tools. Each of the upper and lower tools has a sandwich receiving cavity that is configured to accommodate sandwich ingredients. The tools are mounted together with a mechanism that functions as a hinge and a handle. The upper tool is configured to engage the lower tool so as to remove sandwich crusts and seal the sandwich edges together, thus sealing in the sandwich filling ingredients. The publication also discloses a method of making crustless sandwiches with sealed edges. The sandwiches may optionally be made with designs impressed onto the sandwich outer surfaces.
U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2012/0201927 generally discloses a sandwich bun mold device that creates baked sandwich buns having hollow interior regions. The device comprises a bread mold pan that has a plurality of recesses, a pan cover, and a plurality of inserts of varying size and shape. To make the buns, a user places yeast bread dough in the mold recesses and then selects a desired insert size that will correspond to the size of the desired hollow interior region after the bun has cooked. The insert is then placed on the bread dough and the pan cover is placed onto the pan. A user bakes the assembly until the buns are cooked.
Thus, a problem associated with devices that precede the present disclosure is that they do not provide, in combination with the other features and advantages disclosed herein, a device that can provide a previously baked, sliced bun with an interior cavity designed to contain messy or liquid fillings after the bun is baked.
An additional problem associated with devices that precede the present disclosure is that they do not provide, in combination with the other features and advantages disclosed herein, a device that simultaneously provides a sliced, previously baked bun with an interior cavity and increases the density of the bun in order to lower its permeability to a liquid sandwich filling.
Another problem associated with devices that precede the present disclosure is that they do not provide, in combination with the other features and advantages disclosed herein, a device that can simultaneously provide an interior cavity and toast the interior cavity of a sliced, previously baked bun.
There is a demand, therefore, to overcome the foregoing problems while at the same time providing a bun shaping device that can simultaneously provide an interior cavity to contain fillings, improve the density and optionally toast the inside of a previously baked bun, while being economical to manufacture, easy to clean and durable.